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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Cherry Compote Cocktail

To get this blog rolling, I thought I'd start off with something simple (you'll learn very quickly that I'm a huge fan of anything with 4 ingredients or less, bahaha). Today I have a recipe for a Cherry Compote Cocktail. Have you ever had canned fruit cocktail? Well, my friend - this is 10 times better! Compote is a homemade fruit cocktail using only 3 ingredients - sugar, water, and fruit. It happens to be a staple in many Polish households during hot summers. One of my aunts in Poland has a beautiful orchard plot where she picks cherries every summer for all kinds of delicious desserts. I went there a few years ago and it was amazing..Cherries raining down on you everywhere! I'll have to dig up some photos from that trip and post them sometime.

When I was little, my mom used to make compote all the time with whatever fruits were available - plums, cherries, strawberries, peaches, you name it. Traditionally, it's served cold (and non-alcoholic) but I remember I could never wait for it to cool and I loved sipping on it while it was still warm. It's a wonderful way to warm up on a chilly autumn day if you prefer to serve it hot. It can also be mixed with herbs or spices for a unique flavor combination - try thyme, mint, or cinnamon and use fresh spices/herbs if possible. If you don't want to use sugar, you can sweeten it with honey.

This grown-up version puts the "cocktail" in your fruit cocktail and features another Polish favorite - Vodka! If you're not sure which brand to try, Sobieski ("so-byeh-ski") makes a great tasting and affordably priced vodka.

Hot, cold, alcoholic or virgin - however you choose to serve this is up to you. The end result will be delicious no matter what! Enjoy. :)

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar (increase to 3/4 if desired; depends on the sweetness of your cherries)
1 pound of cherries
8 cups water
1 large pot
Mixing utensil
1 cup vodka (again, exact measurement is up to you)Directions
1. Rinse your cherries. You can either cut the cherries and pit them or leave them whole.

2. Put cherries, water, and sugar into pot. Set temperature to high and stir as the water heats up to dissolve the sugar. Once the water has started to bubble gently, decrease the heat to medium and let it cook for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Toss in the herbs or spices now if desired. If I'm using whole herbs or spices (like cinnamon sticks), I take them out once the compote is done cooking, but it's up to you how strong you want the herbal/spicy flavor to be.

3. Remove from heat. Pour in vodka. Stir.

**Let the mixture cool at room temperature in the pot before transferring to your glasses or pitcher. Do not store it in the fridge to cool while it's still very hot!